Saturday, March 29, 2014

LAHORE: An attack on noted columnist and TV anchor Raza Rumi led to the unfortunate death of his driver Mustafa on Friday evening. Raza Ahmed, popularly known as Raza Rumi, was injured in an attack along with his guard and driver near Raja Market.
According to TV reports, Rumi escaped with a minor injury and managed to shift his guard and driver to the hospital in critical condition. However, his driver succumbed to his injuries. The guard’s condition is also said to be critical. Rumi said he was distraught over his driver's killing, whom he described as “innocent” and a breadwinner for 10 other family members. “God has saved me. I just heard the... bullets when we took a turn near Raja Market and put my head down,” he told AFP, adding his bodyguard leapt to save him. “Extremists want no counter narrative in the state that is why they are attacking alternative voices.” Amnesty International's Pakistan researcher Mustafa Qadri said: “Raza's case is a sad reminder of the threats faced by journalists like him who are promoting human rights and understanding in Pakistan. “Amnesty International has documented at least three cases of journalists killed this year as a direct result of their work, with scores of others, like Raza, narrowly escaping,” he told AFP. Earlier this month Pakistan announced it would set up a special commission to protect journalists and will include press freedom as part of peace talks with the Taliban. In a few updates on Twitter, Rumi shared the incident with his followers. His followers and peers condemned the incident and sent out tweets supporting him. This is the fifth attack on Express Media Group. Three staff members of the group lost their lives in an attack earlier this year. REFERENCE: Columnist, anchor Raza Rumi attacked, driver loses life 2014-03-29 07:48:33 https://www.dawn.com/news/1096198/columnist-anchor-raza-rumi-attacked-driver-loses-life

Pastor Martin Niemöller had said First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me. REFERENCE: Martin Niemöller's famous quotation: "First they came for the Communists ... " What did Niemoeller himself say? Which groups did he name?
In what order? http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/niem.htm

Since the start of Free Media Circus in Pakistan after 911 , the leading Media Houses particularly the Urdu Language newspapers, their editorials, their reporters, their columnists and later TV Anchors always emphasis on "Perfect Democracy" and ruthlessly castigate Politicians and no doubt Inept Pakistani politicians do need thrashing but matter is not that simple because these very journalists take a hike when there is some Mullah in question. The Urdu media (both electronic and print) in Pakistan adopt the narratives of Repressive Nationalism laced with Misogyny, Communal Hate, Ethnic Hate, Sectarian Hate, Lingual Hate, Religious Hate and laced with extreme religious literal-ism (predominantly Sunni) bordering Fascism and that too with Conspiracy Theory mindset when they question Non-Mullah Politicians of Pakistan whereas during any Martial Law all such Jingoist vanish in thin air. They often talk of Extremism and Sectarian Killings in the country and lament the state of affairs in Pakistan particularly when they are questioning Politicians but their Testosterone goes on backfoot when they have to question Mullahs, there is surely a tilt. Recently in Daily Jang, Hamid Mir and Dr Safdar Mehmood while linking Jinnah with Soft Deobandi Mullahs like Mufti M Shafi, Zafar Ahmed Usmani and their Head-pope Mullah Ashraf Ali Thanvi, conveniently forgot these Mullah's Rabid Hate for Barelvis, Shias, what to talk of Ahmadis . Hamid Mir, Dr Safdar and all such Pseudo Islamists coming out of woodwork are hell bent to prove Jinnah forged unity amongst Muslim sects whereas no such unity amongst rival Muslims sects ever existed in Islamic History. Each column on Jinnah by these two duffers further drown both of them more deeply in the Filth of lies i.e. Destiny of 180 Millions Pakistanis. Every Pro Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Islamist Journalist of Pakistan Media is responsible for the attack on Raza Rumi , driver & general attack on Media. I Puke when I see Jang Group GEO TV Journalists sympathize with Raza Rumi . This day has arrived because they justified brutal, cold-blooded and well planned murder of Salmaan Taseer. Express News & Pakistan Media should stop receiving sympathies from Jang Group on Raza Rumi or attack on Media. These Dimwit Pro Jamaat-e-Islami TTP, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) Journalists should stop doing the drama of supporting Press Freedom, Democracy & Islamic Extremists at the same time, enough of this ride on two boats at the same time. Even more shame on Express News who invite Extremist Sympathizer like Absar Alam and Hamid Mir to support Raza Rumi Please invite Shahidullah Shahid instead or better still Ansar Abbasi. Its about time that Pakistani TV Channels should stop apeasing Mullahs who are hell bent to change Pakistan's Moderate way of Life.

The TTP has unequivocally stated that they want to impose their version of Sharia and undo the current structure of state almost at gunpoint. The allies of the TTP such as the Laskhar-e-Jhangvi make it clear that their worldview has no place for Shias, Ahmadis and other brands of ‘infidel’ belief systems. This is why the current government is stuck between the imperative of keeping Punjab (where militant organisations have a social base) stable and ending violence in the rest of the country. It has also been stated (later denied) that the Pakistani security apparatus does not have the capacity to effectively dismantle the militant infrastructure across the country. In recent weeks, I have met several middle-ranking and junior officials of the armed forces (ironically at the Karachi and Lahore literary festivals) who, on conditions of anonymity, expressed their outrage at the way the TTP were killing their colleagues. Most blamed the civilian leadership for not taking a clear stance on the militant networks. It would not be out of place to conclude that a similar sentiment prevails at the senior levels. With 4,000 lives lost and 13,000 personnel injured, the ‘enemy’ for the armed forces would be clear by now. What then prevents a decisive strategy? REFERENCE: Policy paralysis haunts our security By Raza RumiPublished: March 21, 2014 http://tribune.com.pk/story/685625/policy-paralysis-haunts-our-security/

States choose their positions and set relationships based on what is perceived as ‘national interest’. In the case of post-1971 truncated Pakistan, national interest was set by the populist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto with a vision of unifying the Ummah and rhetorical anti-imperialism. With the ouster of Bhutto in 1977, the military adopted his policy architecture and added ‘jihad’ as a central pillar. Since then, we have had an uninterrupted penchant for jihad and to create demand for it, popular education and narratives were reset on why it was necessary to support or in the least, tolerate the semi-private jihadi infrastructure.
The events of 9/11 came as a rupture to Pakistan’s policy environment and there were substantial reversals to the jihad policy as well. But in Afghanistan, the reliance on the Taliban as a just and friendly force continues to inform the way we look at the post-Nato region. Such has been the acceptability of jihad that the offshoots of the Afghan Taliban, i.e., their Pakistani counterparts, are now widely considered as legitimate stakeholders in the country. A new battleground — Syria — has emerged where Pakistan is considered a potential player in the old US-Saudi-Pak triumvirate. A recent story in the Gulf News, which was later denied, stated that Saudi Arabia was seeking anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets to aid the Syrian rebels. Another statement from the head of the Syrian opposition announced that new arms would be arriving soon. It would be unfair to assume that this story is true unless there is official confirmation from our side. However, given our history and the foreign policy matrix, this may just fall into the realm of possibility. For decades, Pakistan’s foreign policy has ignored the imperatives of regional cooperation due to the ‘threat’ from India. The relationship with China is hardly economic in nature and suits the purposes of the national security apparatus. Energy deficiency has cost us losses in GDP and the need to buy expensive oil to run power plants has resulted in chronic stagflation. Yet, we have almost ended the Iran pipeline project that could have been a rational response to the energy crisis at home. REFERENCE: Our increasing reserves By Raza RumiPublished: March 14, 2014 http://tribune.com.pk/story/682906/our-increasing-reserves/

Saturday, March 15, 2014

IT’S the season for our worst fears to bloom. As extremist discourse becomes more mainstream, it’s worth considering what price our future bailouts might come at. For a useful illustration, consider the recent visit to Pakistan by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, a country that has played a pivotal role in bailing Pakistan out after the nuclear detonations of May 1998, and bankrolled some amount of cash assistance in the wake of the Kashmir earthquake and the floods. But the communiqué issued after the last visit makes for puzzling reading, to say the least. There was fleeting mention of Palestine, which took up two whole paragraphs in the communiqué issued the last time a top Saudi royal visited a Pakistani head of state. This time we have two paragraphs on Syria, in which Pakistan has clearly been persuaded to take sides in that conflict, and commit itself to the shape of a post-Bashar al-Assad political order. “When contacted, a senior government official insisted that there was no change in Pakistan’s Syria policy. Sources, however, said that in return for supporting Saudi Arabia on Syria, Pakistan is expected to get defence contracts and other economic favours from the oil-rich kingdom,” said a report in a national daily — exactly the sort of language that you expect to see when your government is hiding something from you. A quid pro quo appears to have been worked out. It doesn’t take a close scrutiny of the text of the communiqué to get the point. The season of toppling governments is drawing near, and everybody has their hit list. Our establishment has its eyes on the government that Americans will be leaving behind in Afghanistan, and the Saudis have their eyes on the government of Bashar al-Assad. For Afghanistan, the statement speaks of “support for Afghan reconciliation” as well as the political process and the forthcoming elections. ‘Let Afghanistan be,’ the Saudis seem to be saying, ‘Let’s go get Bashar.’ REFERENCE: Welcome to Jihad Inc. KHURRAM HUSAIN 2014-02-20 http://www.dawn.com/news/1088257/welcome-to-jihad-inc

March 2014 The visit by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has imparted fresh momentum to ties between India and Saudi Arabia. The high-profile visit of the Saudi royal, who is also the Kingdom’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, has built on the foundations of two earlier game-changing outings — the visit by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in 2006, which was followed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s trip to Riyadh four years later. Dr. Singh’s 2010 visit resulted in the signing of the Riyadh Declaration, which proclaimed that a “strategic partnership” between New Delhi and Riyadh had been established, spanning diverse fields including energy security, information technology and outer space. The document did not exclude a security element either, signalling that a standalone relationship between India and Saudi Arabia had been anchored, de-hyphenated from Riyadh’s long-standing ties with Islamabad. The signing of a defence pact during the Crown Prince’s visit implies that the focus imparted to military ties, during Defence Minister A.K. Antony’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2012, has been emphatically retained. An acknowledgement that a new thrust on promoting investments is required augurs well for the evolution of a substantial, multifaceted relationship. Despite their promise, India-Saudi ties will have to be carefully nurtured. On the bilateral side, the welfare of millions of Indian workers in the Kingdom has to be ensured, especially at a time when authorities in Riyadh have embarked on a major undertaking to generate maximum employment for their own nationals, shrinking job opportunities for expatriates. The future of ties between New Delhi and Riyadh would also have to be insulated from the differing perceptions of the two countries of developments in West Asia. Besides, India has to stay clear of the crossfire between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are at loggerheads on account of the situation in Syria, and whose hostility towards each other has acquired a dangerous sectarian dimension in the region. While it bonds with Riyadh, India has an abiding interest in the simultaneous development of its relationship with Iran, which not only is a major energy-supplier but — after the American withdrawal later this year — is bound to play a pivotal role in Afghanistan. Simultaneously, India has no basis to grudge Saudi Arabia’s “all weather” ties with Pakistan, so long as they do not harm New Delhi’s core interests. In fact, distancing itself from zero-sum expectations, India, if invited, can turn its proximity with Riyadh and Tehran to its advantage, by making its contribution in defusing tensions between the two regional heavyweights. REFERENCE : India-Saudi Arabia ties get a boost EDITORIAL March 2, 2014
Updated: March 3, 2014 00:38 IST http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/indiasaudi-arabia-ties-get-a-boost/article5743659.ece After defence MoU, Saudi Arabia and India eye diverse areas for tie-ups
NEW DELHI, March 1, 2014 http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/after-defence-mou-saudi-arabia-and-india-eye-diverse-areas-for-tieups/article5737390.ece India, Saudi Arabia sign extradition treaty RIYADH, March 1, 2010 http://www.thehindu.com/news/india-saudi-arabia-sign-extradition-treaty/article123985.ece

Saudi Arabia is the world's largest source of funds for Islamist militant groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba – but the Saudi government is reluctant to stem the flow of money, according to Hillary Clinton. "More needs to be done since Saudi Arabia remains a critical financial support base for al-Qaida, the Taliban, LeT and other terrorist groups," says a secret December 2009 paper signed by the US secretary of state. Her memo urged US diplomats to redouble their efforts to stop Gulf money reaching extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. "Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide," she said. Three other Arab countries are listed as sources of militant money: Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Reference: WikiLeaks cables portray Saudi Arabia as a cash machine for terrorists
Hillary Clinton memo highlights Gulf states' failure to block funding for groups like al-Qaida, Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba by Declan Walsh in Islamabad The Guardian, Sunday 5 December 2010 15.30 GMT http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-terrorist-funding

The revelation that Saudi Arabia is the ‘friendly Muslim country’ that deposited $1.5 billion into the Pakistan Development Fund isn’t a surprise. After all, it could hardly have been Yemen or Jordan; they’re not as well-heeled, and nowhere near as friendly.
Why the Nawaz Sharif government has been the beneficiary of such largesse is also not a mystery. The connections between Sharif and the Saudis are well-established, from the period in exile, to Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s “our man in Pakistan” boast to the Wikileaks cables, alleging Saudi funding for Nawaz Sharif’s 2008 election campaign. The list goes on, detailing the history between the man who has a political party named after him and the family that has a country named after it. Compare the funding to how much the Saudis gave us during the previous government, you know, the one that made the IP pipeline deal with Iran which never materialised. It wasn't not much, I assure you. --- We have a right to know what that bargain is, but once more, this sale is shrouded in secrecy, and secrecy invites speculation. Some allege that the money is to hold off any operation against the Taliban, pointing to the timing of Saudi visits and the peace talks. Others say it is for Pakistan’s support in Syria, the diplomatic end of which we have already witnessed. Still others claim that that is only part of it and that Pakistan has agreed to provide training, arms and possibly even manpower to Saudi-backed rebels fighting in Syria. REFERENCE: From Saudi, with love ZARRAR KHUHRO 2014-03-14 http://www.dawn.com/news/1093122 Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: An Ally Frets About American Retreat Influential Saudi royal Prince Alwaleed bin Talal talks about the U.S. debacle in Syria, the Iranian threat, and 'this perception that America is going down.' By MATTHEW KAMINSKI http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304337404579211742820387758?tesla=y

KARACHI: A US official in a cable sent to the State Department stated that “financial support estimated at nearly 100 million USD annually was making its way to Deobandi and Ahl-i-Hadith clerics in south Punjab from organisations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ostensibly with the direct support of those governments.”
The cable sent in November 2008 by Bryan Hunt, the then Principal Officer at the US Consulate in Lahore, was based on information from discussions with local government and non-governmental sources during his trips to the cities of Multan and Bahawalpur.
Quoting local interlocutors, Hunt attempts to explain how the “sophisticated jihadi recruitment network” operated in a region dominated by the Barelvi sect, which, according to the cable, made south Punjab “traditionally hostile” to Deobandi and Ahl-i-Hadith schools of thought.
Hunt refers to a “network of Deobandi and Ahl-i-Hadith mosques and madrassahs” being strengthened through an influx of “charity” which originally reached organisations “such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Al-Khidmat foundation”. Portions of these funds would then be given away to clerics “in order to expand these sects’ presence” in a relatively inhospitable yet “potentially fruitful recruiting ground”.
Outlining the process of recruitment for militancy, the cable describes how “families with multiple children” and “severe financial difficulties” were generally being exploited for recruitment purposes. Families first approached by “ostensibly ‘charitable’” organisations would later be introduced to a “local Deobandi or Ahl-i-Hadith maulana” who would offer to educate the children at his madrassah and “find them employment in the service of Islam”. “Martyrdom” was also “often discussed”, with a final cash payment to the parents. “Local sources claim that the current average rate is approximately Rs 500,000 (approximately USD 6,500) per son,” the cable states.
Children recruited would be given age-specific indoctrination and would eventually be trained according to the madrassah teachers’ assessment of their inclination “to engage in violence and acceptance of jihadi culture” versus their value as promoters of Deobandi or Ahl-i-Hadith sects or recruiters, the cable states.
Recruits “chosen for jihad” would then be taken to “more sophisticated indoctrination camps”. “Locals identified three centres reportedly used for this purpose”. Two of the centres were stated to be in the Bahawalpur district, whereas one was reported as situated “on the outskirts of Dera Ghazi Khan city”. These centres “were primarily used for indoctrination”, after which “youths were generally sent on to more established training camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and then on to jihad either in FATA, NWFP, or as suicide bombers in settled areas”.
The cable goes on to quote local officials criticising the PML-N-led provincial and the PPP-led federal governments for their “failure to act” against “extremist madrassas, or known prominent leaders such as Jaish-i-Mohammad’s Masood Azhar”. The Bahawalpur district nazim at the time told Hunt that despite repeatedly highlighting the threat posed by extremist groups and indoctrination centres to the provincial and federal governments, he had received “no support” in dealing with the issue unless he was ready to change his political loyalties. The nazim, who at the time was with the PML-Q, “blamed politics, stating that unless he was willing to switch parties…neither the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz provincial nor the Pakistan People’s Party federal governments would take his requests seriously”. REFERENCE: Saudi Arabia, UAE financing extremism in south Punjab 2011-05-21 20:30:07 http://www.dawn.com/news/630599/saudi-arabia-uae-financing-extremism-in-south-punjab Cable referenced: WikiLeaks # 178082 2008: Extremist recruitment on the rise in south Punjab madrassahs
2011-05-21 21:43:26 http://www.dawn.com/news/630656/2008-extremist-recruitment-on-the-rise-in-south-punjab-madrassahs

Monday, March 3, 2014

Judge, 10 others killed in Islamabad blasts, firing .ISLAMABAD: At least 11 people, including additional sessions judge Rafaqat Awan, were killed and 29 others wounded on Monday during a gun and bomb attack in a court in the capital city’s F-8 area, DawnNews reported. Asad Mansoor, a spokesperson for the Ahrarul Hind which is a lesser-known splinter group of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while talking to Dawn.com claimed that his group was responsible for today's court attack. The group had recently parted ways with the TTP over holding of talks with the government. He claimed that the court was targeted as the prevailing system in the country was un-Islamic which included the courts and its administration. He added that their struggle would continue till Sharia law was implemented in Pakistan. According to police, two blasts took place inside the court's premises, one near the lawyers' chambers and the other outside another office.
Moreover, lawyers fled from their chambers seeking shelter from bullets as fear and panic gripped the premises. Officers at the scene told AFP the incident began when a defendant was brought before the court and his associates tried to break him free.
Another senior-ranking police official said the incident could be a terror attack but nothing could be said with certainty as yet.
According to police authorities, militants entered the chambers of judge Rafaqat Awan and opened fire on him. Initial medical reports said that the judge was hit by three bullets. The hearings of cases scheduled for the day were postponed. Subsequently, police and special forces were deployed in the court and emergency was declared in hospitals. The capital city is currently under high alert and the Red Zone was also sealed. The head and feet of the alleged suicide attacker were found. REFERENCE: Judge, 10 others killed in Islamabad blasts, firing 2014-03-03 20:28:56 https://www.dawn.com/news/1090737/judge-10-others-killed-in-islamabad-blasts-firing

Pakistan Bar Council calls strike against Islamabad court attack ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council has announced a countrywide strike on Tuesday against an attack on Islamabad local court that killed 11 people including a woman here on Monday. Vice Chairman PBC termed the assault on court as cowardly act and said that lawyers would protest the attack on Tuesday across the court. According to initial reports two suicide bombers resorted to indiscriminate firing before blowing themselves up. The Chief Justice of Pakistan has also taken notice of the attack. REFERENCE: PBC calls strike against Islamabad court attack March 03, 2014 - Updated 1050 PKT http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-139781-Pakistan-Bar-Council-calls-strike-against-Islamabad-court-attack

Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the bodyguard arrested for the killing of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, shouts religious slogans while being taken away by police after he was presented at a court in Islamabad. -Reuters Photo : Lawyers shower roses for governor's killer LAHORE: Lawyers showered the suspected killer of a prominent Pakistani governor with rose petals when he arrived at court Wednesday and an influential Muslim scholars group praised the assassination of the outspoken opponent of laws that order death for those who insult Islam. Mumtaz Qadri made his first appearance in an Islamabad court, where a judge remanded him in custody a day after he allegedly sprayed automatic gunfire at the back of Punjab province Gov. Salman Taseer while he was supposed to be protecting him as a bodyguard. A rowdy crowd slapped him on the back and kissed his cheek as he was escorted inside. The lawyers who tossed handfuls of rose petals over him were not involved in the case. As he left the court, a crowd of about 200 sympathizers chanted ''death is acceptable for Muhammad's slave.'' The suspect stood at the back door of an armored police van with a flower necklace given to him by an admirer and repeatedly yelled ''God is great.'' More than 500 clerics and scholars from the group Jamat Ahle Sunnat said no one should pray or express regret for the killing of the governor. The group representing Pakistan's majority Barelvi sect, which follows a brand of Islam considered moderate, also issued a veiled threat to other opponents of the blasphemy laws. ''The supporter is as equally guilty as one who committed blasphemy,'' the group warned in a statement, adding politicians, the media and others should learn ''a lesson from the exemplary death.'' Jamat leader Maulana Shah Turabul Haq Qadri paid ''glorious tribute to the murderer ... for his courage, bravery and religious honor and integrity.'' Mumtaz Qadri told interrogators Tuesday that he shot the liberal Taseer multiple times because of the politician's vocal opposition to the harsh blasphemy laws. REFERENCE: Lawyers shower roses for governor's killer 2011-01-05 17:32:02 http://www.dawn.com/news/596300/lawyers-shower-roses-for-governors-killer

(2007) ‘Suicide bombers given go-ahead ISLAMABAD: The spokesman for the Lal Masjid administration, Maulana Abdul Qayum, told The News on Tuesday that suicide bombers of the Lal Masjid had been granted permission to find targets on their own and strike wherever they choose to. “In fact, that has already been done. It was previously decided that if we came under attack, then we will give this permission (to the suicide bombers to strike). So, they have been given permission to strike anywhere at any time,” Maulana Abdul Qayum told The News late on Tuesday from Lal Masjid. He said that at first the Lal Masjid administration had demanded that these people (Rangers) should go away from here. “We said that they should be evacuated from here. We demanded that these buildings (where Rangers have taken up positions) should be vacated and they should go back. We said that once they go back, we would control our Taliban. But they (the government) did not agree to all this,” he claimed. Maulana Abdul Qayum said that the situation had become critical. “Fifteen of our Taliban and two Talibat have been martyred and 60 to 70 others have been injured. Still the firing from their side is continuing. They are also firing tear gas shells,” he claimed. To a question, he said the Lal Masjid Taliban and Talibat were only defending themselves. “We have not started all this. They brought these Rangers and made them sit on our heads. They imposed all this on us. They have to stop firing. From our side, it has been already stopped,” he said. About the peace move initiated by Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, he said the MNA from Karak negotiated with the government and announced that an agreement had been reached for a ceasefire. “But, on the other hand, the government continued to fire on us. The MNA talked with the chief commissioner but these soldiers were not accepting it and continued to fire.” He said he could not tell what would happen in the future. “We don’t know what is going to happen. We have already announced that our campaign is peaceful and we want to work peacefully. They brought these Rangers and they were preparing for so many days. So, it is up to them if they want to bring peace back,” he said. REFERENCE: ‘Suicide bombers given go-ahead’ by Mobarik A Virk Wednesday, July 04, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8818&Cat=13&dt=7/4/2007

Anti-talks Taliban ‘to face armed Imran’ LAHORE: The extremist groups not ready to come to the negotiations table would be facing Imran Khan in a gunfight if one goes by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman's statement given at a party function here on Sunday. "If the Taliban groups not in favour of talks continue their terror hits to derail the peace process, they'll find me armed standing by the armed forces," he told the maiden meeting of the PTI Punjab Council here. Reiterating his opposition to army operation in North Waziristan, he said it would badly hurt 700,000 innocent tribesmen, expressing fear that the victims would also take up arms and become Taliban.
Mr Khan denied the impression that the statement in support of the operation had been given to keep the PTI's popularity intact. "I'm not after vote bank rather I take decisions by my conscience." He said the PTI was the first to promote dialogue with the Taliban and the ceasefire announced by the Taliban vindicated the party's stance that dialogue should be the first option.
The party never asked that those who wanted any lenience for those who wanted to rule the country at gunpoint but it did propose to isolate those who wanted to talk from those who didn't, he said. "I'd be ready to counter those who would dare to implement Islam at gunpoint," Mr Khan said. REFERENCE: Anti-talks Taliban ‘to face armed Imran’ 2014-03-03 12:31:55 http://www.dawn.com/news/1090651 Imran Khan’s Dollar Addiction http://new-pakistan.com/2013/12/31/imran-khans-dollar-addiction/

Lal Masjid has 10,000 suicide bombers: Abdul Aziz by our correspondent Thursday, May 31, 2007 ISLAMABAD: The Lal Masjid administration has more than 10,000 suicide bombers on the mosque premises and more than one lakh across Pakistan, claimed Khateeb of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz.
“The suicide attackers are ready to operate anywhere/anytime in Pakistan,” he said at a press briefing at the Lal Masjid on Wednesday evening. “We consider suicide attacks are right in Pakistan in few circumstances, while we consider them as absolutely justified in the context of Afghanistan and Iraq,” he said. “Our students enjoy the moments when a police or Rangers operation looms, and they get bored when the situation normalises,” he said of the situation inside Lal Masjid. He said, “We favoured the Taliban not only in the past, we favour them even today.”
Responding to a question that the strategy adopted by the Lal Masjid administration to solve different problems was helping Musharraf’s agenda to bring liberalism in the country and that analysts think that the clerics were operating on the direction of agencies and basically helping the regime to achieve its agenda, he said it was totally wrong.
“We are not operating under the command of some agency, and I am ready for ‘Mubahela’ in this regard,” he added. He said the Musharraf government was not taking any advantage to fulfil its agendas from the actions of the Lal Masjid.
However, at this moment Aziz’s younger brother Maulana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi took the mike from him and further elaborated the answer saying, “Sometimes it happens. Someone takes advantage from some action, which is actually not aimed to support him.”
He said: “When we were fighting against the USSR, the US had taken advantage of the situation. Our struggle against the USSR was not aimed to benefit the US, but they took an indirect advantage of our struggle.” He also cited the example of the war of Muslims against Persia which indirectly benefited the Romans.
Aziz also disclosed that Gen (retd) Hamid Gul had told him during a conversation that according to the Constitution, any citizen of Pakistan can play the role of a ‘law officer’ if he observes some illegal activity somewhere and not find law-enforcement authorities there.
The Lal Masjid cleric said that not a single finger was cut during their peaceful movement. Asked why the administration did not do something for the poor and depressed class of society and confined its version of Islam to CD shops and brothels, the cleric said they could not do anything for improving the condition of the poor with their resources. However, they could stop people from doing wrong. “We are doing what we can do,” he added. REFERENCE: Lal Masjid has 10,000 suicide bombers: Abdul Aziz by our correspondent Thursday, May 31, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8218&Cat=13&dt=5/31/2007